But not all is clear in this new world of vegan fashion. Here are some common questions answered.
If a product is vegan, does it mean it is sustainable?
No, it simply means that the product contains no animal-derived materials or ingredients. Vegan-labelled items should be providing an alternative to something that is traditionally made with animal products – but it doesn’t mean it is environmentally friendly.
Are there climate consequences to buying vegan fashion?
People committed to shopping thoughtfully can face tough decisions. By taking leather, silk and wool out of their wardrobes, they may be damaging the environment in other ways. This is because many vegan labels have to swap animal products for materials with a plastic base. For anyone trying to shop ethically in all ways, looking at supply chains and the make-up of fabrics is essential.
What new materials are being used to replace leather?
While synthetic leather is usually made from one of two plastic polymers – polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), both of which aren’t great for the environment – alternatives are appearing.
For example, in March 2021, McCartney introduced her first line of garments made from Mylo, a mushroom-based vegan leather grown from the natural fibre mycelium (the root structure of fungi), invented by MycoWorks, a California-based biotech company. The material looks, feels and even smells remarkably like leather. Fascinatingly, vegan leather can also be made from pineapple skins, cork and apple skins.
Vegan leather has become increasingly fashionable, particularly when in the hands of brands such as Nanushka. Designers like Rejina Pyo now use vegan leather for skirts, trousers and jackets, but still opt for real leather when it comes to accessories as it tends to wear better – and because customers tend to attach a higher value to it.
Footwear brands pioneering the use of environmentally friendly alternatives include Veja – favoured by the likes of Meghan Markle – which upcycles corn for the alternative leather in many of its sneakers; for heels there is Piferi, founded by former Jimmy Choo designer Alfredo Piferi, and Los Angeles-based Taylor + Thomas; while Spanish brand Mireia Playà, which uses recycled polyester, and London-based Dear Frances are the go-tos for vegan boots.
What about silk?
For a material so readily associated with beauty and glamour, the silk supply chain is surprisingly ugly. Silkworms are typically boiled alive in their cocoons and silk-producing regions in India reportedly rely on child labour to extract the threads.
Happily, there are a growing number of plant-based materials that mimic the feel and drape of silk. One is Bolt Threads. By studying spider silk, the California-based brand was able to understand the relationship between the arachnids’ DNA and the characteristics of the fibres they make. The company replicates these processes at scale to create a vegan silk that looks and – more importantly – feels like silk and works with many major designer brands. Price-wise, Bolt Threads is similar to the real thing.